KOLKATA: In a heavy turnout amid reports of sporadic violence, over 70 per cent of the electorate cast their votes till 3 PM in the election to 56 Assembly constituencies in the second phase of polling in West Bengal today.
Overall, 70.82 per cent voters exercised their franchise in six north Bengal districts of Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling, Uttar Dinajpur, Dakshin Dinajpur and Malda, and Birbhum in south Bengal.
In seven constituencies of Birbhum, polling ended early at 4 PM as they were marked as left-wing extremism affected.
Voting will go on till 6 PM in the remaining constituencies.
Controversial Trinamool Congress leader Anubrata Mandal, who has been put under 24/7 surveillance by the Election Commission, stoked another controversy when he went to cast his vote sporting a batch of party symbol on his shirt.
“I didn’t realise it. But the presiding officer could have stopped me from going like this,” Mandal, Birbhum district president of the party, said later.
The Congress lodged a complaint with the Election Commission against the alleged violation of the model code of conduct by him.
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, who was in Kolkata today, alleged that booth-capturing and false voting continued in the state.
“Despite the presence of central forces, there is a ‘bhoot’ (ghost) in the booths,” he said.(Agencies)
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